The subject matter of the present invention relates to a vehicle and/or system of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,903,810; 3,118,393; and 3,356,040.
The present invention is an improvement on the type of vehicle and the type of control system for controlling the path of movement and speed of the vehicle.
This invention is directed to article delivery apparatus comprising a main conveyor line and an auxiliary conveyor line. A junction is provided between said lines. Each of said conveyor lines has a track and a horizontally disposed drive shaft. Each of the shafts are rotatable about their longitudinal axes.
A vehicle is provided to support and deliver an article. The vehicle is mounted for movement along said lines. The vehicle has a wheel for rolling contact with the tracks and a drive wheel for frictional contact with the shafts. A means is provided to bias the drive wheels so that its axis of rotation is angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of one of said shafts.
A transfer means is provided at the junction between said lines for transferring the vehicle between said lines in a manner so that said drive wheel is transferred from driving contact with one shaft to driving contact with the other shaft. A means is provided on or adjacent transfer means for changing the speed of movement of the vehicle.
On the main conveyor line, the vehicles move at a high speed. On the auxiliary conveyor line, the vehicles move at a slow speed or physically stop to facilitate loading or unloading of articles from the vehicle.